If Peter Lawwell left the building last year, the final chapter would have been about nine-in-a-row and four consecutive trebles. His legacy (which we will cover at the end of the season) would have been a more straightforward matter to document. Instead, he gets to own a bad season, a cautionary tale to incoming chief executive, Dominic McKay. This job never goes to plan.
He arrived at the club in late 2003 at a time when the lemmings of Scottish football were heading for the cliffs. Celtic had just posted a £11.6m loss despite reaching the Uefa Cup Final, a sum that was dwarfed by Rangers’ £29.6m loss. We lost money every season since Fergus McCann left four years earlier. His first challenge was straightforward, remain competitive and don’t follow Rangers over the edge.
Martin O’Neill was replaced by Gordon Strachan who in his first season had to work with a reduced budget. Revenues grew as the club’s commercial operation matured, so Gordon’s budget soon passed that of Martin’s. Celtic enjoyed a period of financial stability, domestic success and for the first time reached the knock out stages of the Champions League, until then, a fabled nirvana.
If you think this season is the darkest period of Peter’s tenure you have forgotten about 2011. Gordon lost the league for the first time in 2009, Tony Mowbray lost his only title in 2010 and Neil Lennon lost at the first time of asking in 2011. In the autumn of 2011, we dropped 10 points behind Rangers, who were on track for four-in-a-row.
For me, who started writing a blog about the need for financial stability, those years were a real challenge. We were paying our bills but there is no obligation on football fans to take an interest in the club’s accounts, all most want to see is a winning team, and Rangers were winning what mattered. This debate played out for years on CQN. Some of us knew Rangers were going to crash and burn, although it was not until 2011 that I realised how spectacularly that was going to happen. Others on here talked of “Jam tomorrow”.
It was likely but never inevitable that Rangers would become insolvent. Peter chose a path that guaranteed our survival over matching Rangers’ losses. It made him unpopular, but he felt it was the right path to follow. I agreed.
The world changed in season 2011-12. David Murray sold Rangers to Craig Whyte, an experienced insolvency expert. Craig had a plan to liquidate Rangers, phoenix with a Newco and become incarnate as the body and soul of Oldco.
CQN was always active on Rangers finances, they were as pertinent to the success of Celtic as our own, but I went out on a limb in October that year, with what was a prescient blog, The prepack route for Rangers Newco FC. I predicted Rangers liquidation, the consequential space in the SPL, the consequences for the TV deal, sponsorship deals and for other clubs. I explained how Newco would try to join the top flight and finished with a call to arms to stop it, all months before any of it happened.
Celtic said very little during this period but the role Peter Lawwell played in stopping Newco Rangers slipping straight into the top flight was absolute. The prescience and call to arms in that blog and the many that followed in the months to come, were well informed.
The rise of Neil Lennon as manager culminated in that night against Barcelona in November 2012 but the sands were already shifting below our feet. Barcelona was a peak, not a new plateau. Ronny Deila was manager before he was ready. He won leagues but fatefully blew Champions League qualification.
The appointment of Brendan Rodgers was nothing to do with Dermot Desmond watching Newco directors celebrate a semi-final win at Hampden, Dermot was on an aeroplane by then, it was more about chance. Brendan was out of work, a Celtic fan and in need of a place to restore his managerial reputation. Despite the titles, Celtic were flagging. He filled the stands, boosted every revenue stream and won five trophies, before leaving us at the altar of back-to-back trebles.
Few of us were inspired when Neil Lennon was appointed permanent manager after securing that second treble against Hearts. Brendan was sacked by Liverpool, Neil ‘mutual-ed’ by Hibs, by any measure, a downgrade. That night in Rome 14 months ago, when Celtic recorded their first win on Italian soil, the decision look inspired, but not for the first time, the sands were already shifting below our feet.
The collapse this season had been nothing to do with fans not being at games, players isolating or any other nefarious reason. We got our football operations wrong, it is as simple as that. You and I will regret this for a long time, as will Peter Lawwell.
We will lose the league to a Newco Rangers who (pre-crisis) have annual losses approaching Oldco’s when Peter took over. Losing the league hurts, but financial fundamentals ultimately determine the future. This lesson from the Peter Lawwell era will endure. Good luck to Dominic McKay, he has a big sharp suit to fill.
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All joking aside, we could do worse than have Lawell take up position in UEFA. And the higher he goes the better.
Welcome, Dominic McKay. Please keep your snout out of football operations.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:10 PM
God Bless Peter Lawwell
A true Celtic Hero
He kept the green flag flying despite the malcontents,naysayers and begrudgers
—————————————————————————-
Deludamol OD
You can’t buy history….don’t believe the hype…
Has Morelos been cited yet?
You are aware that Lawwell bemoaned the loss of millions of revenue at the death of the old club, aren’t you?
—
not sure about tha
PL always said at the time that our financial position wasnt reliant on the existence of any particular club – by which he meant a club playing out of ibrox
I expect Peter to be on the Board for the next 5 years at least.
It is very possible that this is part of a major changing of the guard, with Ross Desmond rather than his Dad pulling the strings.
What’s done is done & What’s won is won
& what’s lost is lost & gone forever,
We can only pray for a bright brand new day,
For the Club we love so well.
NO BOBBY DOES IT PETTA on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:32 PM
All joking aside, we could do worse than have Lawell take up position in UEFA. And the higher he goes the better.
He would certainly do a lot to restore his tarnished reputation if he could do something about Shug Dallas and his merry masonic men .
Cork.
Exactly, let’s move on as we all have our own opinions of PL and let’s see what the future brings.
Hail hail
PANNYSBHOY
Don’t hold your breath – I blame Lawwell
Whatever you think of PL, it’s troubling that NL is still in place.
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:38 PM
You are aware that Lawwell bemoaned the loss of millions of revenue at the death of the old club, aren’t you?
======
not sure about that
PL always said at the time that our financial position wasnt reliant on the existence of any particular club – by which he meant a club playing out of ibrox
————————
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-rangers-troubles-cost-celtic-4137888
PETER LAWWELL last night laid bare the true cost to Celtic of Rangers’ demise as an eye-watering £10million a season.
The chief executive spoke out in the wake of criticism following the Champions League exit at the hands of Slovenians Maribor.
And as he outlined the economic reality of their current plight, he insisted the Ibrox side’s share issue struggles should be ringing alarm bells for everyone over the lack of investment in the Scottish game.
Lawwell launched a stout defence of his club’s strategy in yesterday’s papers. But today in MailSport, he goes into further detail about the damage the absence of the Old Firm has done.
He said: “In terms of Scotland, we have done better than everybody in keeping our standards and keeping our level.
“That is hugely difficult in the present environment.
“The lost money which Rangers, and now Hearts and Hibs, have taken out of the game, has been made up from profit from selling players. Our revenues have stayed the same from selling players to make up for those lost millions.
“But when Rangers went down we took £100 off season tickets. So that is £4m for two years. The Rangers games, at least another £3m.
“Then there’s a perception among our supporters that there is no competition, you are going to win anyway and you don’t go to the game. So it could be £10m.
Celtic have been hit in the pocket by the loss of Old Firm derbies
Celtic have been hit in the pocket by the loss of Old Firm derbies
“We could have lost £10m a year, quite easily, on the back of Rangers going down. How we have coped with that is seeing that ahead and keeping that strategy of being successful on the park, stable off it.
“Hearts and Rangers have gone bust and yet we are still getting it.”
Rangers’ statement to the stock exchange on Friday outlined the depth of their former rivals’ difficulties.
And Lawwell confessed: “It does concern me and shows the challenges we face. They couldn’t raise £10m, they are going out for £4m, therefore there is a chronic lack of investment in the Scottish game.
“If Rangers can’t do it, who CAN do it? I’m wary of being pessimistic and talking the game down but these are facts that are not good signs.
“It’s difficult. With the uncertainties, the risk. We don’t think we are God’s gift, we don’t think the strategy is flawless.
“Of course it is flawed because it is football and it is chance. Karagandy last year, they hit the bar. Maribor this year, Callum McGregor’s shot might not have hit the bar.
“In football you have to prepare for being fallible. Which we have done.”
Lawwell also revealed the reason behind his club’s inaction when it came to signing Scottish talent.
Fans have expressed frustration at the likes of Stevie May, Ryan Gauld, Andy Robertson and Johnny Russell all Moving away at good prices while Celtic have been spending on the likes of Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde.
However, the chief exec said: “We’d love to have Scottish players. It’s better having Scottish players. But our guys don’t think they are good enough.
“A Scottish player would be a priority if it’s right. It’s not like we are fascinated with going foreign all the time.”
Lawwell revealed Celtic currently have 38,000 season tickets and 2000 corporate seats sold.
Their biggest problem now, in the absence of Europe’s elite coming to town, is keeping them.
He said: “Going back over the last two years, what invigorated our fans was the Champions League. That got them going to the games.”
Gene
A good day for burying it.
PANNYSBHOY on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:38 PM
Has Morelos been cited yet?
Today is deadline I believe, as you say could get buried
MADMITCH
Was told before Christmas that it would be an ex St Als. There were another 2 in the running
Im pretty sure Peter Lawell would had to have Dermot Desmonds permission for some of his suggestions to be implamented ie cost cutting measurses buying and selling of players.so to sum up Dermot Desmond is as much to blame for the club being badly run this season ,he and neil lennon need to go to asap.
Dominic McKay .. New Celtic CEO ..
Quotation from the Celtic statement “Dominic is a passionate Celtic supporter and long-term season ticket holder.”
Easy job for him then, as he’ll have been able to see from a distance how a much of a shambles the Club has become ..
A) All he has to do is be competent, and strive to make Celtic a world class football club.
B) Find Celtic’s missing 25,000 Shareholders who own 25% of the Club.
C) Work with 50,000 Season Ticket Holders towards funding and transferring the ownership of a further 35% Shareholding from Dermot to the fans over the next 5-10 year period.
D) Talk is cheap from the PLC Board Members as we all know, so only actions will tell us if Dominic is his own man, and if he is a man of vision or not.
Good luck Dominic, make us all proud again.
Hail Hail.
ST TAMS on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:50 PM
MADMITCH
Was told before Christmas that it would be an ex St Als.
###
Aye, I remember you posting that.
I for one am delighted that the hapless Lawwell is leaving. Given the resources available to Celtic relative to other clubs, the success he’s being associated with shouldn’t be beyond the wit of a competent CEO. His legacy will be one of missed opportunities, taking the easy, lazy option and being the man who blew the 10. And spare me the ‘he’s a Celtic supporter’ gumpf. He’s taken more money out of Celtic than anyone with the exception of Fergus. I doubt he’s ever attended a game where he’s had to buy his own ticket.
Its Hunbeilavable that Celtic fans (well they call themselves Celtic fans) sticking up for a Liar like Peter Lawell.
Hunbeilavable
D :)
The Norman Conks Kept The Billy Boys under Fullerton at bay ,Hail Hail The Norman Conks fae Norman Street
CORKCELT on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:25 PM
RC This Years squad was identical to last year’s squad with exception of Forrster.
Players Out: Fraser Foster, Craig Gordon, Jozo Šimunović, Moritz Bauer, Daniel Arzani, Jonny Hayes, Marian Shved, Vakoun Issouf Bayo,
Players In: Barkas , Duffy , Laxalt , Turnbull, Ajeti
A much different and poorer and weakened squad this season imo.
The Scottish Cup Fourth Round fixtures scheduled for 20 February will not now go ahead, and all ties will be rescheduled and information communicated in due course. Consequently, Saturday, 20 February can be released as a fixture date for league matches.
The Scottish FA will continue to work with Scottish Professional Football League colleagues to accommodate the dislocated Scottish Cup fixtures when it is deemed safe and practical to do so.
” !!BADA BING!! on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:47 PM
PANNYSBHOY on 29TH JANUARY 2021 2:38 PM
Has Morelos been cited yet?
Today is deadline I believe, as you say could get buried”
If it does get buried, I hope there is enough anger left over from the incessant criticism of Celtic to have a go at the Footballing Authorities should the aformentioned burial take place.
Celtic F.C. v St. Mirren F.C.
Scottish Premiership
30/01/2021 3:00pm Celtic Park
Referee:Bobby Madden
AR1
Graeme Leslie
AR2
John McCrossan
Fourth Official
Duncan Williams
The plan was flawed.
Who many midfielders do we have on the books at this moment in time and not playing them in their position.
The buy many and pay low is the reason we didn’t qualify enough for the CL. Plus we dont get them in on time or let players leave when they want. If you want to go, go then, it’s very simple
The players should be asked on the final game of every season” are you staying next season? If the answer is no, sell them after your new guy is in and before the sale goes through. This way the team you buy from doesn’t know you have money to burn.
The goalkeeper fiasco was the perfect example of this, let CG go then FF leaves and we spend millions on a keeper that like it or not is lacking confidence and I’m being very diplomatic there.
Welcome to Celtic Dominic I hope you are a massive success.
And the brass neck of some o’ the tourists takes some beatin’…………….
The Blow Torch Bar CSC
Respect Pablo.
Articles like this one (and there have been many) genuinely elevate CQN.
Terrific stuff.
Fans (short for fanatics) are more connected to a club emotionally than they are intellectually.
(myself included).
Insight and intelligent analysis such as this helps contextualise the actions and stances taken by our board.
We might not like these stances and actions.
We may not even understand some of them.
Ultimately though, as Celtic supporters, we all want the same outcomes.
The next few months could be tough.
But this is the start of the recovery.
Paul – respectfully suggest you hold on to this article ….
…. and post a link to it in 2025 !
I hope (and believe) that the lens we collectively look through in four years time will show a different picture.
Hail hail
Keep The Faith
RC
FFs Players out Bauer, Arzani Shved, Bayo. What part did they play last year?
. Jozo decent but missed a lot of games through injury,
Didn’t count Gordon as he was second fiddle to Forster last Season & I had already conceded Keeper loss was huge,
I already had agreed Guys in Ajeti, Duffy, & Barkas were hugely disappointing but I think Soro & Turnbull & to a lesser extent Laxalt do offer something.
Overall problem was as I said was good players losing form particularly Eddie & of course the lack of a decent Keeper.
Anything “positive” on Fat Charlie………………….?
Dominic McKay: The Courier’s rugby writer Steve Scott on what Celtic fans can expect from Peter Lawwell’s replacement
by Steve Scott
January 29 2021, 10.52am
As football fans all over Scotland pondered quite how their sport got a (perceived) raw deal compared to rugby when the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 emergency handouts to sport were released, they probably didn’t know who was largely responsible.
The man who was front and centre of Scottish Rugby’s considerable charm offensive to Holyrood was Dominic McKay, who is to succeed Peter Lawell as chief executive of Celtic FC.
McKay’s 13 years at Murrayfield have been a slick progression of growing responsibility.
He joined in 2008 from the Chivas Regal whisky brand as a mere director of communications. He ended it as second only to chief executive Mark Dodson and, we all thought, the heir apparent.
And while the CEO job at Murrayfield is well provisioned – Dodson carried off a salary and bonus worth nearly £1 million before Covid-19 realities took hold – the job at Parkhead is something else entirely.
What kind of man are Celtic getting?
An excellent operator, for sure, who is supremely comfortable in boardroom circles and dealing with the important outside agencies.
McKay has been chair of Scottish Rugby’s Threat Management Group throughout the pandemic, dealing face to face with the Scottish Government.
But he’d already established relationships with successive Holyrood administrations that ensured rugby’s voice was heard at those levels.
When rugby got a generous grant from the government to shore up its finances during the pandemic, it had McKay’s fingerprints all over it.
His firm but disarming charm was the counterweight to Dodson’s preference for a confrontational style.
McKay has been generally delegated the areas where diplomacy is required – although notably not when Dodson and World Rugby got into a spat in Japan during the World Cup in 2019.
McKay’s other speciality has been successfully selling the brand.
Murrayfield’s impressive list of sponsors and commercial nous has been a major factor in – pre-pandemic, obviously – Scottish rugby’s annual turnover blooming to £60 million under his watch.
Murrayfield were even able to make the claim – dubiously, if one looked at the books with a careful eye – they were finally “debt-free”.
They’d had decades of debt caused by the decision in the mid-1990s to redevelop the stadium without a penny of public money.
As chief operating officer, McKay has been responsible for management of the BT Murrayfield “campus”.
He’s hawked the facility relentlessly as a concert venue, to the football authorities and indeed to Celtic.
McKay led the campaign to have Murrayfield named as the venue for Scottish football matches in preference to Hampden. The SFA eventually opted to stay put, but it was a closer thing than anyone anticipated.
There’s no doubt a favourable impression of Dominic during these dealings with those in power in football at national and club level eased his path towards his new job.
The hottest ticket in Scottish sport?
McKay has also been in charge of Scottish Rugby’s marketing, ticketing and communications strategies.
Before coronavirus closed the doors, you could make a case for the national rugby team as the hottest ticket in Scottish sport.
Murrayfield was a sell-out for all major matches involving the Scotland team.
With imaginative packages, they could fill the seats for games always considered “poor” draws like Argentina, Samoa and Fiji.
McKay also took charge of the activities of the two professional teams, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby, with the Warriors’ going from crowds of 1500 at Firhill to sell-outs of 7000 at Scotstoun.
Crowds at Edinburgh have also risen, although more modestly.
While some of these successes with the pro teams have been at local level, there’s no question who was signing everything off.
The new and different challenges of Celtic
McKay hasn’t had much of a public profile, although he’s been an assured, if over-corporate, presence in rare media sessions. Dodson has remained the aggressive public face of Scottish Rugby whenever it’s been required.
This is the maybe the most intriguing aspect of McKay taking on the post at Parkhead.
The scrutiny and the interest will be far more intense than anything Dominic has had to deal with before.
He’ll also no doubt have to deal directly with the actual playing side of the sport. That was something he managed to largely avoid at Scottish Rugby.
Dominic’s not had an easy ride from the Scottish rugby media, although we’ve mostly had a decent relationship. But the atmosphere will unquestionably be different in football and especially with Celtic.
His easy charm and ability to win people over worked well in the less-intense arena of Scottish Rugby.
We’ll be very interested to see how he goes in more cut-throat world of the other code.
How long have we been asking for a CH a LB & RB.
Scott Brown interview on PL.
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/1355168414290075651?s=21
Can’t argue with the titles and quadruple treble – Peter Lawell takes great credit for being part of the teams built to deliver and unprecedented part out Celtics history, there is no doubt about that.
I’m grateful for ALL of that.
But Celtics standards are high and Celtics standards have been allowed to drop from a position of utter dominance – Peter is also responsible the complacency.
There are times to wheel and deal for last minute purchases and there are times when your #1 targets just need to be bought swiftly (even if it means paying a little more ). We lost out on way too many talented players and were often left scrambling for last minute risks and gambles. I HATED our transfer windows and they reaked of desperation.
On one hand we have had great return but mostly we have been cheap – this season in particular.
Our head of recruitment is still in a job after failures to bring in quality in critical positions – this is on Peter Lawell.
Overall, his tenure has to be regarded as a great success BUT on the back of a weakened Rangers, many embarrassing European ventures and an appalling 10IAR season that for me epitomizes the complacency allowed to fester at the club.
CORKCELT on 29TH JANUARY 2021 3:13 PM
FFs Players out Bauer, Arzani Shved, Bayo. What part did they play last year?
just like Soro and Turnbull , Lenny never gave these bhoys a decent chance by not trusting them and played his usual likes.
Still a much different, poorer, and weakened SQUAD this season imo.
So I take it from that leader in Paul you are saying the story Phil Mac put out about BR is/was a load of pish and wind .
Good because some of the stuff he’s saying in the last year has been pure fantasy to my mind glad to get a confirmation on one of his bigger fibs!
Hot Smoked.
Of course that should be 1949 and it may surprise you that one or two of us are indeed older than Old Tim – god bless his cotton socks!
Hail! Hail!
Team v St Mirren
Bain
Ralston Welsh Ajer Taylor
Henderson Soro Mcgregor
Christie Griffiths Moi
———————————–
subs : Barkas Eddy Bitton Harper Johnston Klimala laxault.
DAVID 66 …..whats your team/selection
Well,as I have said many times.I really have no interest in who is on the Board,they always have their faults.Different faults to different fans.Hopefully the new guy can give us the success that PL did,that would do for me.His biggest crime during his tenure was Res 12,which in some fans eyes will forever follow him.I say some,because many don’t really care.I don’t really go with the bean counter thing.He gave plenty of transfer Who knows.cash out in his time.Various managers at fault for squandering lots on poor buys.
If the new guy can get us the success PL did,we are in for good times again.What will happen with Neil,is the next big question.Who knows what the thinking is.